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Whitfield was born in Gosforth in Newcastle and achieved BA(Hons) in Business Law from Huddersfield Polytechnic. He worked as a solicitor between 1989 and 2001, before leaving the law profession to retrain as a teacher at the University of Edinburgh, achieving a PGCPE pass with merit in teaching in 2002.[6]

Prior to his election, Whitfield worked at Prestonpans Primary School[7] and served as a council member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland as well as a member of the EIS, Scotland's largest trade union.[8][9] He was also Chair of Prestonpans Community Council and involved in a number of community groups.

He has supported the official recognition of non-binary people in official government documentation.[11] He was one of 216 general election candidates to pledge support for the Israel Election Pledge.[12]

Whitfield attracted controversy in a debate on the abuse of MPs when he claimed that "now is the time to ban anonymous social media accounts".[13] Whitfield claimed he was echoing similar remarks from SNP MEP Alyn Smith.

In June 2018, Whitfield led an adjournment debate on the challenges faced by people with 'hidden' disabilities, particularly in relation to the use of accessible toilets and cited the Grace's Sign campaign run by a young constituent, Grace Warnock.[14]

Whitfield has been a strong critic of the Government's Universal Credit system and was one of the first Labour MPs to call for the new benefit to be replaced entirely.[15]

In October 2018 he attracted widespread praise after leading a Commons debate on World Menopause Day.[16]

Whitfield is a member of several All-Party Parliamentary Groups, including the Timber Industries APPG, which he chairs.[17] He is also a member of the Commons' Science and Technology Select Committee.[18]